NSindex Data Dumps

Readme for the monthly database dumps
Last updated on 1st August 2021

Overview

This document applies to the monthly database dumps from NSindex (officially the
NationStates Index).

A new database dump of this type usually comes out on the first day of every month.

Contents

A monthly database dump consists of a single XML’ file, which holds the latest
version of each article and page on NSindex.

The database dump does not come with images: you will need to download the
images that you need from NSindex.

File tree

On 7*h February 2018, the uploads folder moved to the root of the website, to make
upgrading via Secure Shell (SSH) easier, and to allow the Internet Archive’s
Wayback Machine to archive images without having to enter the MediaWiki
installation directory.

For information about setting a custom location for uploads, please visit:

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/$wgUploadDirectory

[root]
images + Image repository folder
nsdata + NationStates API snapshots folder
up loads ~ Uploads folder
W - MediaWiki installation directory
L_LocalSettings.php - MediaWiki settings

Copyrights

The text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence:
for more information, please visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Imported Wikipedia templates are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike 3.0 licence: for more information, please visit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:CC BY-SA

Different terms may apply for uploads and mirrored repositories.

1 XML is an abbreviation for Extensible Markup Language.

1

Importing the database backup into MediaWiki

NSindex recommends using Secure Shell (SSH) on a server running Debian or
Ubuntu.

macOS is acceptable, but Minoa has only tested MediaWiki with MAMP Pro and
Homebrew: the latter is necessary for certain Linux components, such as librsvg and
wget.

For instructions on importing the XML data dump, please visit:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:ImportDump.php

You also need to enable InstantCommons, so that the database dump can show
images from the Wikimedia Commons. For instructions on enabling
InstantCommons, please visit: https:/Awww.mediawiki.org/wiki/InstantCommons

Extensions

NSindex uses several extensions to ensure cross-compatibility with many Wikipedia
features, as well as to improve user experience and to deter spam and vandalism.

Required extensions

You need to install and enable the following extensions for the database dump to
work properly. Extensions with a website link do not come bundled with the latest
version of MediaWiki, and you need to download them from the MediaWiki website.

Extension Link
CategoryTree

Cite

CodeEditor

CookieWarning? Extension Page
Disambiguator Extension Page
Gadgets

GeoData Extension Page
ImageMap

InputBox

Interwiki

LabeledSectionTransclusion Extension Page
MobileFrontend Extension Page
ParserFunctions

PdfHandler (PDF Handler)

2 You only need the CookieWarning extension if your server is based in the European Union, Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

2

Extension Link

Poem

Scribunto

SyntaxHighlight

TemplateStyles Extension Page

TimedMediaHandler Extension Page

WikiEditor

You must also download and install the Minerva Neue theme, because
MobileFrontend depends on it to work properly. You can download the theme by
visiting: https:/Awww.mediawiki.org/wiki/Skin:Minerva_Neue

Optional extensions

NSindex also uses the following built-in extensions, but not installing them is unlikely
to affect the database dump as they are related to user experience and deterrence

against spam and vandalism.

Extensions with a website link do not come bundled with the latest version of
MediaWiki, and you need to download them from the MediaWiki website.

Extension Link

AbuseFilter Extension Page
AntiSpoof Extension Page
CheckUser Extension Page

ConfirmAccount (Confirm User Accounts)

Extension Page

ConfirmEdit

DismissableSiteNotice

Extension Page

Echo (notifications system)

Extension Page

LocalisationUpdate

Nuke

Renameuser

ReplaceT ext

SandboxLink

Extension Page

SpamBlacklist

TemplateSandbox

Extension Page

TitleBlacklist

UploadsLink

Extension Page

UserMerge

Extension Page

Themes (skins)

Skins with a website link do not come bundled with the latest version of MediaWiki,
and you need to download them from the MediaWiki website.

Extension Link
MinervaNeue Theme Page
MonoBook

Nostalgia Theme Page
Timeless (beta) Use WME version
Vector (default) Use WMF version

NSindex currently uses the WMF versions of the Timeless and Vector themes, for
compatibility reasons.